SC dismisses plea for CBI probe against home minister

February 25, 2014 - 12:15:33 am

New Delhi: The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a PIL seeking a CBI probe into alleged interference by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in the Delhi Police investigation into alleged IPL spot-fixing/betting.

A bench of Chief Justice

P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that it could not hear serious allegations just on the basis of media reports.

The court told Shiv Kumar Tripathi, who filed a public interest petition (PIL), that if he had appropriate evidence, he should move the competent forum.

Tripathi’s plea is based on Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former home secretary

R K Singh’s claim of Shinde’s interference in the probe.

It was alleged in the PIL that Shinde interfered with the Delhi Police probe against a businessman in the IPL spot fixing/betting scandal.

The minister allegedly stopped Delhi Police, which comes under the administrative control of the Union Home Ministry, from interrogating the businessman, who is an accused in the 2G scam cases, after his name had also emerged in the IPL spot-fixing case.

Describing Singh as a political person after joining the BJP, Shinde had then refused to react on his allegations.

“R K Singh is now a political man. His allegations are political in nature. He is now with the BJP. I do not see him as a former home secretary but as a BJP man. I will not react to his allegations,” Shinde had said responding to Singh’s allegations.

The Congress had brushed aside the allegations by Singh, taking potshots at him and questioning his conduct.